WDEK Podcast Ep. 96: Lizz Winstead & Saidah Blount - 9/28/21

It's September! Fall has arrived and WDEK is not looking forward to the pumpkin spice lattes signage that will soon be everywhere!  Justin the Intern joins us from Duluth, Minnesota.  Christian and Shonali have just returned from visiting their parents in Chicago and Nashville.  They discuss the Jedi mind tricks of their respective parents.   

The brilliant Lizz Winstead, comedian, co-founder of the Daily Show, founder of Abortion Access Front and co-founder of Air America amongst joins us from her abode.  Find out how a 16 year old Lizz Winstead's life experience is directly connected to her activism today as the founder of Abortion Access Front.  Do you know about the thousands of fake "clinics" in the US used to intimidate and spread misinformation to women regarding abortion?  We discuss destigmatizing abortion and how men should contribute to the conversation surrounding reproductive rights.   Follow Lizz on Twitter here! She's doing shows in Portland and San Francisco in November - you lucky West Coasters!

Shonali Bhowmik, Lizz Winstead, Saidah Blount

Per her Twitter profile our second guest Saidah Blount describes herself as a music industry maven, corporate goth, Sonos Senior Manager, Global Content. She joins us along Game Changers! This is the first time ever we bring our guests together to share trivial tips and/or life lessons which have changed their lives.  We have some great ones for you this month including TSA Tips, bubble wrap tips, peeling egg tips, identity theft tips and more! Also Saidah's use of the term "frothed up" is a new one for Christian and Shonali. 

As a woman of color who has worked in the music industry for years, we asked Saidah about her feelings regarding the long awaited conviction of R. Kelly in a NYC courtroom just the day before this show was taped.  Have you heard of the saying "Dance now.  Deconstruct later?"  Saidah contemplates whether "music is too big to fail."  Topics of discussion include the "shady" music industry, the non-stop work of a working performing artist, being the only WOC in the workplace, recently being "sweethearted,"  the the over-usage of the term "cancel culture" used as a "dog whistle."  We get into it!  We also have lots of fun. Saidah shares what brings her joy these days which is a new concept being that she's a workaholic. Christian shares an urgent urban wildlife PSA.  And Saidah shares some hot music tips including Serpent With Feet and NAO.  We could talk forever as you clearly can here!  Enjoy your September and we will be back with another episode live on October 26, 2021 - 8PM EST!  

We Don't Even Know - Ep. 31: Saundra Williams, Adam Lowitt - March 31, 2015 →

It's Spring time in New York City! Yes, it's is still chilly, overcast and we are all tired of the winter. In honor of the Spring that has not happened, Shonali brings in the March episode of WDEK in a purple dress, a sun hat, sunglasses, bright green bucks as in shoes and shaking her pom poms. Christian had nightmares the night before the show. The entire audience monitors Christian and Shonali's use of "like", "um", "wow" and "no."

Our first guest is the talented singer Saundra Williams. She is a member of new Daptone recording artists, Saun and Starr, and also a back-up singer for Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings. She's from the South Bronx and has been singing since she was a young girl. She talks about her journey as a performer, including church choir, her father, a wedding band, her special relationship with Starr Duncan Lowe and Sharon Jones, appearances at Live at the Apollo in Harlem and so much more. Saun and Starr just debuted a new video featured a soul funk hit called Big Wheel.

Our second guest is comedian and executive producer of the Daily Show, Adam Lowitt. Adam is a newlywed and Shonali recently attended his wedding. Adam sent himself to Outward Bound for a reason. He also helped build part of the Appalachian Trail. Adam sits beside John Stewart during writers' meetings. All the writers bomb in front of John when preparing for the show. Jason Lam was in consideration (in his own mind) as John Stewart's replacement. Check out his audition tapes. Do you know what Adam's dad's name is? Let us know. Do you know how to pronounce Shonali's name? Neither does Christian. Happy Holidays everyone!

We Don't Even Know - Ep. 26- WDEK at HiFi w Amy Ryan, Jena Friedman, Roger Clark and Matt Whyte - September 23, 2014 →

Christian and Shonali host another edition of WDEK in front of a live audience at HiFi.  Special guests include actress Amy Ryan, comedian Jena Friedman, NY1 reporter Roger Clark and musician Matt Whyte.  Christian has a brand new industrial blender and cooking injury. If you had to get plastic surgery, what kind would you get?  Even Justin shares his thoughts?  What is it like to become a professional actress just after high school?

Academy Award nominated actress Amy Ryan answers that question and more.  Catch her in Birdman with Michael Keaton, Louder Than Bombs with Gabriel Byrne, and Steven Spielberg's newest with Tom Hanks.  Unbelievable right?

Comedian Jena Friedman shares her insight into the ebola epidemic, Letterman, The Daily Show and American Girl mania.  Follow her on Twitter ya'll.

One of our favorite tv personalities, NY1's morning features reporter, Roger Clark is a bowler, a rock n' roller, and sometimes gets star struck. Have you seen him doing parkour, air guitaring to Rush, or break dancing at the Flushing YMCA?  Check out his band Perp Walk.

Musician and former Earl Greyhound, guitar player/vocalist, Matt Whyte just finished a new solo release called Rupe Shears.   Find out why kids in high school liked him outside of the fact he wore Malcolm X glasses. For the WDEK audience he played two songs.  One called The Hoover Dam, and the other was a Bossa Nova tune, which he sang in Portuguese so we have no idea what that one was called.  

Stay tuned for a pic of Christian's injury. 

Ep. 26: Amy Ryan, Jena Friedman, Roger Clark and Matt Whyte - September 23, 2014